General Local Elections will take place across B.C. on Oct. 15, 2022. Not sure where and how to vote? Here’s our voting guide for electing your City of Nanaimo, local public school trustees, and Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) representatives.
Am I eligible to vote in the municipal election?
To cast your ballot in the upcoming municipal election, you must meet the following requirements:
- 18 years of age or older on general voting day
- A Canadian citizen
- A resident of British Columbia for at least six months before the day you register to vote (April 14, 2022)
- A resident of the municipality or regional district you’re voting in
- Not disqualified from voting by any statute or law
Bring at least two pieces of identification, with at least one that has your signature. The time to pre-register to vote has closed, but you can still show up to vote. You’ll just need to prove residency on location.
How can you prove you’re a resident of your area? Any piece of mail or ID that shows an address with your name connected to it will be considered. This can include bills, government-issued mail and vehicle insurance papers.
What if you live on reserve? Indigenous and non-Indigenous electors living on reserve can vote in the municipal or electoral area boundary the reserve is located within, which may be the Regional District of Nanaimo or the City of Nanaimo. To find out, you can contact the chief election officer.
If you have owned property in the region for at least 30 days by general voting day but live elsewhere in B.C., you can also vote in the upcoming municipal election as a “non-resident property elector.” Non-resident property electors can vote only once, even if you own multiple properties in the area.
If you live with a disability, do not speak English or cannot read, it’s still your right to vote. Election officials are trained to help all voters access what they need to vote, and services are available at voting locations.
Where and when can I vote?
There’s one more day of advanced voting on Oct. 12, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Beban Park Social Centre, 2300 Bowen Road. Those living in RDN electoral areas can find advanced voting locations on the RDN voter information page.
Mail-in ballots can be requested up until Oct. 13 at 4:30 p.m. If you are applying for a mail ballot package in Nanaimo, contact legislative services at 250-755-4405 as special arrangements may be necessary. More information can be found on the City of Nanaimo website.
Voting Day is on Oct. 15, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting locations for the City of Nanaimo:
- Beban Park Social Centre, 2300 Bowen Road.
- Chase River Elementary School, 1503 Cranberry Avenue.
- City of Nanaimo Service and Resource Centre, 411 Dunsmuir Street.
- Dover Bay Secondary School, 6135 McGirr Road.
- Georgia Avenue Elementary School, 625 Georgia Avenue.
- Nanaimo District Secondary School, 355 Wakesiah Avenue.
- Protection Island Fire Hall, 26 Pirates Lane.
- Randerson Ridge Elementary School, 6021 Nelson Road.
- Salvation Army Church, 505 8th Street.
- Uplands Park Elementary School, 3821 Stronach Drive.
- Wellington Secondary School , 3135 Mexicana Road.
- Woodlands Secondary School, 1270 Strathmore Street.
Voting locations for the Regional District of Nanaimo:
You can see the district area boundaries for Electoral Areas, A, B, C, E, F, G, and H on the RDN website. Some electoral areas will be voting for Qualicum School District No. 69, as opposed to the Nanaimo Ladysmith School District No. 68.
- Electoral Area A: Cedar Elementary School (Gymnasium) at 2215 Gould Road, Nanaimo and Cranberry Fire Hall at 1555 Morden Road, Nanaimo.
- Electoral Area B; and Gabriola Island Local Trust Area: Gabriola Elementary School (Gymnasium) at 680 North Road, Gabriola Island.
- Electoral Area C: Extension Community Hall at 2140 Ryder Street, Nanaimo and Pleasant Valley Social Centre, 6100 Doumont Road, Nanaimo.
- Electoral Area E: Nanoose Place at 2925 Northwest Bay Road, Nanoose Bay.
- Electoral Area F: Bradley Centre at 975 Shearme Road, Coombs. Lighthouse Community Centre (Main Hall) at 240 Lions Way, Qualicum Beach.
- Electoral Area G: St. Columba Presbyterian Church Hall at 921 Wembley Road, Parksville.
- Electoral Areas H: Lighthouse Community Centre (Main Hall) at 240 Lions Way, Qualicum Beach.
Who are the 2022 candidates?
City of Nanaimo mayor:
*indicates incumbent
Nanaimo City Council (there are eight councillors to be elected):
Read The Discourse’s youth-led candidate questionnaire.
Read the Nanaimo News Bulletin’s candidate questionnaire.
Robb Squire
*indicates incumbent
Nanaimo Ladysmith School District Trustees (there are nine trustees to be elected):
Read The Discourse’s Nanaimo Ladysmith School District trustee candidate questionnaire.
Read the Nanaimo News Bulletin’s Nanaimo-Ladysmith school trustee candidate questionnaire.
Andrew Gasson
Leanne Lee
Chantelle Morvay
Bill Robinson*
Tanner Scott
(Note: Faith Mapayi withdrew Sept. 16)
*indicates incumbent
Candidates for Regional District of Nanaimo Directors:
Three RDN directors are unopposed: Electoral Area B (Gabriola & Surrounding Islands), Electoral Area E (Nanoose) and Electoral Area H (Shaw Hill, Deep Bay, Bowser). This leaves one seat up for grabs in each of the following RDN electoral district areas:
Electoral Area A (South Wellington, Cassidy, Cedar)
Electoral Area C (Extension, East Wellington, Pleasant Valley)
You can read the Nanaimo Bulletin’s candidate questionnaire.
Electoral Area F (Coombs, Hilliers, Errington)
Electoral Area G (Dashwood, Englishman River, French Creek)
*indicates incumbent
